METRORail Green Line

The Green Line[5] is a 3.3 mi (5.3 km)[3][4][6] METRORail light rail/streetcar[1] line operated by METRO in Houston, Texas, serving the East End area. The first seven-station segment of this line opened on May 23, 2015.[2] The two-station eastern end of this route was delayed due to issues over crossing Union Pacific Railroad tracks, but eventually opened in January 2017.[7][8]

Green Line
Overview
StatusOperating
LocaleHouston, Texas
TerminiTheater District (west)
Magnolia Park Transit Center (east)
Stations9
Service
TypeLight rail/Streetcar[1]
SystemMETRORail
Operator(s)METRO
History
OpenedMay 23, 2015[2]
Technical
Line length3.3 mi (5.3 km)[3][4]
CharacterStreet running downtown, exclusive right-of-way elsewhere
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead cantenary
Highest elevationStreet level until Altic/Howard Hughes, then returns to street level. Elevated overpass between the streets.
Route map
■ Theater District
Red Line
 ■ Central Station
 ■ Convention District
I-69 / US 59
 ■ EaDo/Stadium
Purple Line
to Palm Center Transit Center
 Coffee Plant/Second Ward
 Lockwood/Eastwood
 Altic/Howard Hughes
Union Pacific RR
 Cesar Chavez/67th Street
 Magnolia Park Transit Center

Route

Between Theater District and EaDo/Stadium stations, the Green Line shares tracks with the Purple Line. In downtown, the eastbound track runs along Capitol Street, while its westbound counterpart runs along Rusk Street. On both of these streets, trains operate in mixed traffic using the rightmost lane.[1] Transfers to the Red Line will occur at the Fannin Station. Before crossing I-69/US 59, the 2 tracks converge onto a dedicated right-of-way along the south side of Texas Avenue to EaDo/Stadium Station, which will give access to the BBVA Compass Stadium where the MLS soccer team Houston Dynamo & Texas Southern Tigers football play. East of EaDo/Stadium Station, the Green Line and the Purple Line diverge, with the Purple Line turning south and the East End Line continuing east.

The Green line continues in a dedicated right-of-way on the south side of Harrisburg Road, which transitions to the center of Harrisburg Road at Middleton Street. It remains in the median to its eastern terminus at Altic/Howard Hughes Station.

In the future, a six-block-long bridge will carry the line over freight rail tracks located on Harrisburg and Hughes, extending the line eastward to the Magnolia Transit Center. Construction of this bridge began in March 2015.[9]

Construction

Phase I of construction was due to be completed by spring 2012, with Phase II scheduled to be complete by summer 2012,[10] and a planned opening in 2013 or 2014. By fall 2010, it became clear that a late 2013 opening was impossible, and the line would not open until late 2014.[11]

Problems with non-MetroRAIL construction projects downtown, as well as with the axle-counters used to regulate light rail traffic, subsequently pushed back the opening of the line to April and then May 2015.[12][13]

Opposition to east end of line

As early as about a month after construction began for this line, it was reported that there opposition existed to this line, particularly because of the installation of the six-block-long bridge meant to avoid the freight railroad at the east end of the line.[14] Further opposition to this line arose when area resident began to notice a loss in business in areas where construction was taking place.[15] Subsequently, Metro decided to build the western portion of the line in the meantime, while the construction of the portion of the line between Altic/Howard Hughes Station and Magnolia Transit Center Station was deferred.

An overpass segment meant to avoid the freight railroad track and to complete the line between Altic/Howard Hughes Station and Magnolia Transit Center is expected to take up to 18 months to complete and broke ground in March, 2015.[16][17][18][19] The bridge was completed in early 2017, and the first train traveled across it on January 9, with regular service beginning on the 11th, which marked the completion of the Green Line to its Magnolia terminus.[7][20]

Stations

The following is a list of stations for the Green Line, listed in order from west to east.[21]

METRORail line key

     Red Line
     Purple Line

Station Opening
year		 Connections
METRORail METRO Bus
Theater District2015    20, 30, 44, 85, 151, 160/161/162, Park & Ride routes
Central Station (Capitol/Rusk)2015         6, 11, 51/52, 137
Convention District2015    
EaDo/Stadium2015    
Coffee Plant/Second Ward201529
Lockwood/Eastwood201550, 80
Altic/Howard Hughes2015
Cesar Chavez/67th Street2017
Magnolia Park Transit Center201720, 28, 50, 76

Expansion

A possible expansion for the line would bring it south from the Magnolia Transit Center to converge with the Purple Line at a station yet to be named, and moving along the same right-of-way to Hobby Airport.[22]

See also

References
  1. "Station Guide Downtown" (pdf). METRORail. March 7, 2014. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  2. "Railfest Celebrates New Rail Lines". Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  3. "East End Line (landing page)". METRORail. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  4. "METRORail". Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas. Retrieved 2015-08-11.
  5. "East End Line". METRORail. Archived from the original on 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  6. Abrahams, Tom (April 16, 2010). "East End light rail reaches milestone". KTRK-TV ABC13. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  7. "Metro completes light rail line with new overpass just before Super Bowl". Houston Business Journal. January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.
  8. Rivas, Elissa (2017-01-11). "METRORail Green Line opens Wednesday morning". ABC13 Houston. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  9. "East End Harrisburg Overpass Project Celebrates with Groundbreaking" (Press release). Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. March 11, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  10. "Construction Schedule". METRORail. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  11. "Rail Lines Will Not Meet Oct. 2013 Deadline". KRIV (FOX 26 Houston). September 9, 2010. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  12. "Construction Issues Prompt New April 2015 Rail Opening Date" (Press release). Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Metro). September 25, 2014. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  13. Begley, Dug (September 17, 2014). "More trouble for rail lines as opening pushed to next year". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  14. "East End residents angered over Metro's plans to build bridge". KHOU 11CBS. October 22, 2009. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  15. Cisneros, Cynthia (August 23, 2010). "East-end light rail construction faces opposition". KTRK-TV ABC13. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  16. Delaughter, Gail (May 21, 2014). "Major Decision Expected On East End Light Rail Project". Houston Public Media. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  17. Begley, Dug (May 22, 2014). "Metro rejects pleas for delay, proceeds with East End overpass plan". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  18. Delaughter, Gail (July 2, 2014). "Metro Unveils Preliminary Designs For East End Overpass". Houston Public Media. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
  19. Hennes, Rebecca (March 14, 2015). "Groundbreaking of Metro overpass unites community". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved 2015-03-23.
  20. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Houston_MetroRail_Harrisburg_%40_Wayside_Dr_2017-02-08.jpg
  21. "East End Line [map]" (PDF). METRORail. March 27, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 14, 2013. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  22. http://www.city-data.com/forum/houston/992322-metro-light-rail.html
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